Grand Canyon National Park will reopen its South Rim hotels this Thursday after park officials temporarily closed its hotels until repairs could be completed on four breaks on the Transcanyon Waterline.
The park will keep lesser water restrictions in place until its storage tanks have been replenished.
The Transcanyon Waterline serves about 2,000 residents at Grand Canyon Village and millions of visitors each year.
The 12.5 mile-long Transcanyon Waterline, originally built in the 1960s, supplies potable water for facilities on the South Rim and inner canyon. Park officials say it has exceeded its expected lifespan.
Since 2010, there have been more than 85 major breaks that disrupted water delivery, but none that have forced what park officials call “Stage 4” water restrictions. That is, until four recent significant breaks.
